long I looke for an habeas corpus to remoove me out of this place to the Grave the Land of darkenesse as Job q calleth it But God who hath all times in his hand will in his good time send me my writ of ease and give me my liberate and thereby free both this body of mine from these outward prison-walls my soule from the prison of this body and both body and soule from the r bondage of corruption and restore me to the glorious liberty of the Sons of God There is yet a terrible and fearfull prison whence there is no redemption no goaledelivery without baile or mainprise but this is ourâ—… comfort the Lord hath the keyes of Hâ—…ll s so as he hath an absolute power over it to deliver and discharge the penitent from the feare and danger thereof He hath the keyes of death to unlock the graves and the keyes of Hell t to locke up the old Dragon and his crew into the bottomlesse pit When I was an Embryo in the daâ—…ke Cell of the wombe I was pen't up there as a close Reserve and yet there I had a kinde and loving keeper my mother my midwife and afterwards my nurse But in that other pâ—…ison the keeper there is our u Adversary the Devill who walkes about as a roaring Lyon seeking whom heâ—… may devoure In other prisons men have fouâ—…d some favour and mitigation Joseph was put in fetters w but the Lord was with him and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison but never any in that prison Jeremie was in the dungeon x yet he had Ebedmelech a Courtier to interceede for him to the King But ther 's none to solicit for the prisoners there as being extrà statum merendi without all capacity of favours and acts of grace y Peter was put into a darke prison but the light shoone round about him his fetters fell off from him and the Angel led him foorth and set him free But in that otherâ—… prison ther 's nothing but utter dâ—…knes no Angels there but such as kept not their first estates z reserved in everlasting chaines under darkenesse unto the Judgoment of the great day Now then as Jeremie prayed unto the King Z-dechias a that he would not canse him to retuâ—…ne to the house of Jonathan the Scribe which was the prison lest he dyed there So let us put up our supplications to the Lord that he would not send us into that eternall prison to die for ever SECT. IIII. Comforts against Banishment THou complainest that thou art banish'c out of thy Country why who is not Wee are all of us Pilgrims and Strangers b our conversation is in Heaven c Zanchius translates it our Burges-ship our societie is in Heaven we looke higher then the earth wee set our affections upon the things that are above wee carry our selves like feâ—…low-Citizens of Saints there wee live according to theâ—… Lawes of Heaven and heere on earth in part enjoyes the priviledges of that heavenly Corporation the new Hierusalem that is above It was a gracious speech of a worthy Divine d upon his Death-bed that he should change his place not his company His conversation was now before-hand with his God and his holy Angels and now he was going to a more free and full fruition of the Lord of life in that Region of glory above Whil'st wee are at home in the body wee are absent from the Lord as St. Paul saith e This is not our true home wee seeke for a better countrey f that is an Heavenly There is our trueâ—… home and were wee as it is thought Sâ—… John was banish'c into the Isle Patmos g or the Archipelago for the word of God and the Testâ—…mony of Jesus Christ even there wee should find as ready a passage to Heaven in our addresses to God as in our native soile This Center of earth is equidistant alike distant from the glorious circumference of Heaven as Hierom said of old to his Paulinus De Hierosolymis de Britanniâ aequaliter patet aul a caelestis Heaven is as open in Britaine as in Hierusalem It is Cyril's observation that Abraham whil'st he was in his owne Countrey had never God appearing toâ—… him save only to bid him go forth of his Countrey h his Kindred and his Fathers house but afterwards when he was gone forth he had frequent visions of his Maker Had Joseph beene ever so great or had such trust in Potiphar's House or Pharaoh's Kingdome if he had not beene sold into Aegypt Had Daniel and his three companions of the captivity ever attained to that honour in their native Land Themistocles i being banished from Athens grew into great favour with the King of Persia so as he was wont to say my sonnes we should have been undone if we had not beene undone Art thou banish'c out of thy Countrey Why what other thing hath befallen thee then it pleased God to enjoyne Abraham the father of the faithfull Saying to him k get thee out of thy Countrey and from thy kindred and from thy fathers house to a Land that I will shew thee He must goe from the place of his birth and wonted abode but he knoweth not whether l to a place he knew not and to men that knew not him He must sojourne m in a strange Countrey where he is constrained either to buy or hire or borrow both a place for his dwelling as also a plot of ground for the biâ—…iall of his dead n What though wee be strangers at home The Lord can provide us an home amongst strangers Aegypt the slaughter-house of Gods people the furnace of Israel's affliction hath neverthelesse three severall times beene the Sanctuary and Harbour to preserve Gods Church as namely in Abraham in Joseph and in Christ God oftentimes makes use of the world for the behoofe of his owne The earth is the Lords and all places are alike to the wise and â—…hfull God that is every where the same makes all places alike to his In a word am I banish't from home I meet with many of whom the worldâ—… was not worthy o wandâ—…ing about in sheeps-skins in goats-skins in Dasarts and in mountaios and in Dens and in Caves of the earth Why am I then discouraged or disheartned There hath no temptation taken mee p but such as is common to man Ther 's nothing hath befallen mee heerein but what is incident to other men holier then my selfe such as usually hath been incident to Gods dearest children such as may be borne by man in this life specially assisted by Gods grace which is alwaies sufficiâ—…nt for his children Bâ—…sides if I be east upon a forrein Coast I shall have good company For heâ—… hath said q who cannot faile I will never leave thee nor forsake
if every man would cleanse his own Front-stead the whole City would soon be cleered Let every one then returne to his owne heart to know there as Salomon saith w his owne plague even the sins wherewith he hath grieved God to be sorry for them andâ—… henceforth with the duty of repentance and reall reformation with more precise caution against spirituall Relapses to betake himselfe more frequently to privat supplication and to performe both that and the publique with more sincerity and servency of affection that so the God of Peace might bee pleased to put an end to these warres Quest How shall wee know when a man is cast downe and disquieted otherwise then is befitting Answ. There is a threefold miscarriage of inward trouble 1. When the Soule is troubled for that it shouldâ—… not be vexed for as Ahab x when he was crost in his will for Naboths Vineyard II. In the measure and extent when we trouble our selves though not without cause yet without bounds Put the case a man be disquicted for sinne for which not to bee disquieted is a sinne yet we may looke too much and too long upon it for the Soule hath a double eye one to looke to sinne another to looke up to God's mercy in Christ Having two objects to looke on wee may sinne in looking too much on the one with neglect of the other Wee should so minde our griefe as not to forget God's mercy Saint Paul would have the Corinthianâ—… Delinquent upon his unfayned tokens of Repentance released of the censure and received againe into the Church and comforted lest hee be swallowed y up in the gulph of despayre III. Thirdly And this to our present case there may bee a miscarriage in the ground of our trouble as when we greive for that which is good and for that which we should grieve for but it is with too much reflecting upon our owne particular For instance sake in these unhappy times and dismall dayes ther 's great troubles both in Church and State three Kingdomes involved in a blody unnaturallâ—… warre betwixt those who are brethren by nature nation and profession of Religion wherein what party soever gaines the Kingdome loseth many loyall subjects and the Church many Christian professors which causeth our enimies to insult our selves and all good Christians to lament and be deeply affected herewith But now if we would deale truly with our owne hearts what is it indeede that makes us take on so Is it not because these troubles hinder the liberties of the flesh and restraine the pride of life Is it not because our liberty is abridged our ease disquieted our wealth pared with the razor of warre â—… our attendants reduced our recreations stopped and our visits discontinued Other things the common sufferings may be pretended but it seemeth it is our private sore that toucheth us and if it be so our respects are but private and personall selfe-respects Men are usually grieved for publique miseries from a spirit of selfe-love only or specially because their owne private is imbarqued in the publique There is a depth of deceit of the heart in this matter If our trouble have no higher rise it is but private and personall but if we take to heart the wofull breaches that are made amongst us for that by these troubles Godâ—… is dishâ—…noured the publike exercises of Religion hindled the gathering of souls thereby stopped that heerby the Sâ—…ates and Commonwealâ—…hs which should have been harbors of the Church are disturbed lawlesse courses and persons prevaile Religion and Justice is triuâ—…phed over and trodden under this shewes that wee are men of publike spirit To discover this selfe-deceit we may make this home ly triall If we can be as hot as tostes in our owne private cause and quarrell and yet as cold as ice when most dishonourable indignities and affronts are offered to the Lord without our own impeachment then it is evident â—… that in those cases where Gods and the common cause are joyned together our zeale was onely for our owne interest and not for Gods and the publicke good Heere was the triall of Moses his meekenesse and his passion When the people murmured when Korah z Dathan and Abiram rebelled against him heer was just cause of anger but heer Gods cause and his owne were coupled Let us therefore marke Moses behaviour when they were singled When Miriam and a Aaron spake against Moses because of the Aethiopian Woman whom he had married and when they offered him this private injury it isâ—… sayd Moses his meckenesse was such that he gave them not a word inasmuch as hee is commended for the meekest man that was upon the face of the earth Look now upon him in another posture When the people had fallen to Idolatry b and had made a Calfe and Aaron had his hand therein Heere Gods quarrell was severed from his own and how carrieth he himselfe heere Hee spares neither Aaron nor the people but in a godly fit of zeal takes on and breaks the two Tables in peeces being transported with zeale though for Gods glory as hee some times spake unadvisedly with his lips c so he might now doe unadvisedly with hisâ—… hands and so may bee aâ—… example of mans imperfect sanctity which hath a mixture of divine grace and humane weakenesse even iâ—… the bâ—…st of Gods children however hee was a meekâ—… Lambe and patient in his owne quarrell and as fierce as a Lion in Gods cause and the common cause of salvation In the Lords service we should bee common men as well as private In a word we complaine of these wofull times that wee are the worse for them but may not the times complain of us Let us take heed wee bee not a part of the misery of the times that they be not the worse for us SECT. VI Of meanes to worke us to Patience under the Crosse VVE have seen what fruit the Crosse beares our next care must be with Simon of Cyrene to beare it patiently when we are put to it For if wee be impatient in word or behaviour wee shall afflict our selves the more like the bird caught in the net the more she struggles the more she is entangled Thou complainest that thy malady increaseth I bemoane thy case and wish I could give health and ease as well as advice Wee cry out my body is troubled my state is broken my friends faile me but all this while there is not that care for the poore soule to settle that in peace See that all be well within and then all troubles from without cannot much annoy us Besides holier men have suffered more The Lord measures out affliction according to the ability d of his children Now our strength when it is at the best is farre inferiour to the strength of Job David or Abraham and therefore we must triallsâ—… and troubles are far shore of theirs The Lord lest any should
my feet d my feet as Asa being troubled as it is probable with the gout One complayneth of a Palsie another of a burning Feaver another of the Stone or Strangury and they that are not troubled with any of these yet they are still under this King of Feare lest hee should enlarge his quarters and take in them too But is there no Balme in Gilead Yes there be God be blessed for it Cordials and Scripture-Comforts appliable to such as are cast on their Sick-bed their Death-bed their Grave-bed for so e Isaiah calleth it they shallâ—… rest in their beds that is their graves every one walking in his uprightnes where they shall securely sleepe in a bed of ease till the morning of the Resurrrection SECT. I. Comforts for the Sickebed COnsider with thy self dear Patient and fellow-labourer under the Crosse of Christ that God hath a speciall hand in thy visitation even thy God the Father of Mercy which chastiseth thee for thy good and then thou wilt kisse bothâ—… the Rod and hand that correcteth thee For as Job sayth f Affliction comes not out of the duft Sicknes and Affliction that alights upon men comes not either by casualty or of it selfe or meerely from the second causes whether of men or other creatures or by distem pers of body onely but it comes from above and is inflicted by the divine hand of supreame and infinite Justice so as thou mayst say with the Psalmist g I know o Lord that thy judgements are right and that of very faithfulnesse thou hast afflicted me It were not well with us if these maladies came by chance or were let loose to alight where theyâ—… list it is our comfort they are swayed by the provident hand of a loving Father who like a skilfull Physitian tempers the Dose and Receit according to the neede and strength of his Patient h God is faithfull who will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that we may be able to beare it He will give a happy issue out of it and enable us to go through with it He corrects his children not out of measure i but in discretion with the Rod of men k that is moderately and with compassion in a fatherly tendernesse and love for their good and amendment Heâ—… knowes their strength is not the strength of stones l nor their flesh as brasse his anger endures but for a moment m Look theÌ„ upon the Author of thy sicknesse and how it is stinted and under Commission and this will worke thee an unmooved patience and humble submission And thus Ely when God foretold by Samuel the ruine of his house quiets himselfe n It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good And thus the people of God when Paul was resolved to goe to Hierusalem submitted saying o the will of the Lord be done a speech fit to proceed out of the heart and mouth of a Christian It is true indeed sicknesse and affliction simply considered and in their owne nature are not good but consequents of sin their use and fruit is a blessing of God giving us thereby a sight and sense of our sinnes but that good it is not wrought out of the nature of misery but comes from them by accident only No chastning for the present seemes to be joyous but grievous p Neverthelesse afterward it yeelds the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse unto them which are exercised thereby As it is in these humane corrections those chastisements which were grievous unto us in our childhood are afterwards allowed of us asâ—… profitable unto us So is it in these afflictions from the hand of God none of them are for the time pleasing but grievous and irksome yet afterwards we find them to be exceeding beneficiall by taming disciplining and fitting us to an holy life which bringeth peace of conscience after all the unquiet broiles and â—…mults of triall and temptation Now blessed is that sicknesse that prooves the cure of the soule Oh welcome Feavers that may quit our soule from everlasting burnings Thou complainest that now thou art sick now thou art grievously pained I apprehend it as such and pity thee with all my soule Butâ—… tell me wert thou not before a long time healthfull Canst thou not be content to take thy turnes and let God have his intercourse of favours and crosses health and sicknesse Can we looke for faire weather every day As well may the day be without succession of night as a mortall body of so fraile and britle consistence without fits of distemper It was the answer q where with that patterne of patience Job stopt the clamorous mouth of his tempting wife shall we receive good at the hands of God and shall wee not receive evill It was a memorable example r of a worthy Christian who had lived to his middle age inâ—… much health and prosperity and was now for his last two yeeres miserably afflicted with the Sâ—…gury who in the midst of his torments could say Oh my Lord God! how gracious hast thou beene unto me Thou hast given me eight and forty yeeres of health and now but two yeeres of pain thou migâ—…st have caused me to â—…e in this torture all the daies of my life and now thou hast carried me comfortably through the rest and hast merciâ—…lly taken up with this last parcell of my â—…ment blâ—…d by thy name for thy mercy in foâ—…ng mee and for thy justice in afflicting me Yea but thou complainest of these fits and changes that they interrupt thee and breake off the workes of thy calling it is that erstwhile thou hadst so much respite and breathing as to follow thy vocation This cessation and intermission will upon thy recovery make thee fall more freshly to thy taske If the Lord be pleased to send thee a Writ of ease a 〈◊〉 est to take thee off thy businesse by sicknesse yet even then thou hast time to serve God another way to wit by a selfe-resignation and patient submitting to his will If he meane to use thy service any further hee will restore thee to thy health strength to doe the work heâ—… sets thee about For health is at his command and sicknesse stayes at his rebuke In the interim and meane this time of sicknesse is a purging from that desilement wee gathered in time of health till wee come purer out which should move us the rather willingly to abide Gods good ley sure The Lord seeth that if the body bee not sicke the soule would Blessed is that sicknesse of the body which procures the health of the 〈◊〉 Wee are best for the most part when we are weakest when we are Gods pâ—…iioners and cast on our sick-bed then it appeares wâ—… good proficients wee have beene in the time of health â—… If there wee learned any good lesson
old distinction must be remembred Of Afflictions â—… some are punishments properly so called they bee such as proceede from God's vindictive Justice and are not matter or occasion of 〈◊〉 but rather of deepe humiliation and trembling unlesse the offendor repent others {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 〈◊〉 are chastisements or fatherly Corrections they differ from the former not so much in the matter as in their 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 and end their Rise is from God's love for whom he loveth f them he correcteth and from his Fatherly care willing thereby to reclaime us they have their temper measure g and mitigation according to the ability of the Patient they tend toâ—… make us partakers of the h quiet fruit of righteousnesse Sicknesse and other scourges of God which are punishments to the wicked inflicted upon them for their sinnes are Fatherly chastisements of God's children for their instruction and amendment In afflictions of this nature in respect of their use and fruite we have cause of thankfulnesse Corrections are instructions Lastly some are Trials and trials of faith whether by Sathan as those of Job were or by men that persecute others for righteousnesse sake In this sort wee finde great cause of thankefullnesse and rejoycing Peter and his fellowes i rejoycedâ—… therein as in a great dignity that they were counted worthy to suffer for his name Paul in his Epistle to the Philipians calls his crosse his Grace k It seemeth say the leaâ—…ned Annotators on the Bâ—…ble that some of the Philippians were partakers with the Apostle in his bonds which the Apostle was so farre from esteeming any disgrace or disparagement to him that he accounted them a grace and an ornament to him As also did the noble Martyr Babylas who gave charge at his death that his bolts should not be knockt off his feet but be buried with him Now how farre forth we may desire affliction I conceiveâ—… it thus Some things are desirable for themselves as happinesse and holinesse some things are desireable not for themselves but as they make way to better things being â—…ower and bitter to nature themselves as Physick is desired not for it selfe but for health we desire health for it selfe and physick for health and so is it in the case of affliction we should hardly take down the bitter pills of Affliction were it not for the good use and quiet fruit of righteousnesse that it yeeldeth Quest Belike then if Crosses be so penall and afflictive 't is not fairâ—… for us to call in Crosses Answ. We shall meet with crosses we need not create crosses There bee some selfe created crosses which wee have reason to beare and bewaile as having pulled them upon our owne heads for want of forecast unthriftynesse and rash suretyshippe We fall into want upon willfull distempers of drinke riot and surfets into fevers upon intemperances and licentiousnesse into consumptions There be other Crosfes which are immediately God's hand-woâ—…ke Shall there bee evill in a City to wit evill of paine and adversity and the Lord hath not done l it saith the Prophet Amos. There can beâ—… no evill of punishment wherein God hath not an hand but some evils are more immediat from a divine stroke We must set our thoughts on worke or else like mil-stones wanting grist they wil grate and wast one another Yet take heede lest we spend our spirits with carking care of fore thought and future evils which haply either fall not out at all or not in our time so as they need not trouble our heads Some man is haunted with thoughtfullnesse what shall becom of his child when he is gone or least his wife marry after his departure whereas they dye in the meâ—… time and he out-livesâ—… his owne griefe Another frettingly feares he shall be undone in a deare yeare or in case there be some change in Religion whereas he dies in the interim and ends his daies in the same professaon in peace and plenty A moderate care and forecast doth well either for provision of things necessary or prevention of dammages and dangers but not to antidate our misery by such fore-conceits of imaginary evills Wee have our hands full already m sufficient unto the day is the evill thereof Wee complaine of crosses and yet wee put the Rod into Gods hand so as he is glad to deale with us as wee do with frisking horsesâ—… in a large pasture which will not be taken till they come to a strait gate The n wild Asse that snuffes up the wind to coole her heate will not be taken till she be in her moneths till she be with foale and loaden with her burden Wee have growne wanton with ease and long peace and plenty and if the Lord should not tame us with affliction wee should run wild after the excesse of riot with the world there would be no rule with us Wee are like unto Ephraim o the Prophet saith of Ephraim that before he was chastised he was like a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke but after he was instructed then he smote his thigh â—… he was ashamed yea even confounded because he did beare the reproach of his youth As if he should say Thou hast aâ—…cted me O Lord and I am humbled I doe now bow my neck and stoope under thy yoke I was like an untamed Colt but now the hand and rod of affliction hath broken me now I smote upon my thigh in token of remorse shame and detestation of my former wicked waies I did beare the reproach of my youth of mine excesses committed in my younger daies Surely after that I was turned I repented after that thou hadst wrought upon me and shewed me my sin I repented When he smote them saithâ—… the p Psalmist then they sought him yea they sought him early q yea then saith the Lord they will seâ—…ke me diligently early and diligently God that can draw light out of darkenesse can give a good issue and successe of our aâ—…ction albeit they be harsh to flesh and blood yet he can turne them to our good to our profit Metals are never so bright as when they are scoured Perfumes and spices never so redolent and savoury as when they have felt the fire and the pâ—… Affliction serves to scoure our earthen vessells of that soile and rust of corruption that wee formerly contracted Wee may thinke it were well if wee escaped this scouringâ—… and burnishing but it is good for us to be thus afflicted r that now the Lord pricks the swelling of our pride extracts the malignity of our humour so as now wee give up the sweet morsels of sin that overcharged us and pay deere for the stollen pleasures of sin SECT. II. Cordials and Comforts against the losse of our goods HEâ—… me thinkes I heare the tender Patient reply It is not this present malady and infirmityâ—… afflicts me so much this comes by